Flawed
by LinkIsMyHero
Summary: L would do anything to show Light his flaws, if only to save him from the burden of being perfect. yaoi, LxLight, LightxL.
1. Chapter 1

L sighed.

This investigation was pointless. Kira sat a few feet away from him, already in a handcuff. If he could just get the _other _handcuff on Kira's wrist, then all of his problems would be solved.

L carefully tilted his head a bit to examine Kira.

Kira was beautiful. L didn't say it from attraction or lust, but simply as a fact. The boy sat a few feet away from him in his own chair with perfect posture, his slim fingers flitting across the keyboard, the fine golden-brown strands of his hair falling perfectly around his face, his pink soft lips in a slight frown of concentration, and his eyes, his perfect, beautiful, _innocent, _amber eyes, staring at his screen.

That was the problem though. Light was not innocent. The detective had little to no doubt (about 97.3% certain) that Light was Kira. But that was from his observations. Observations that no one else could understand, like Light's childish view of the world and people, his quietly cunning mind that he hid perfectly behind his masks, or his obsessive compulsive nature, but those were just not cold, hard evidence.

L looked to his computer again, pulling his thumb to his mouth and toes curling on the seat in his usual (or unusual, depending how you look at it) crouch. These were the only signs of frustration he usually allowed himself, but he was sincerely tired. Not physically, though he was feeling a bit sleep deprived having only acquired 10 hours of sleep in the past week, but of this case. This ridiculous farce of a case.

Kira was sitting right next to him dammit! And there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it. It could take _years _to build a case strong enough against Light, and the conniving little punk would probably dispel it easily with a casual flick of his hair and one of those perfect smiles too!

It frustrated L to no end that he was being bested by a teenager with a god-complex, all because Light was beautiful. And all that beauty put to waste as the owner of it never really showed his true self. L relished seeing Light let his calm façade slip and see the true, burning beauty beneath the ice of his mask. But so rarely did it slip. It would only happen when L could truly anger him. Or sometimes L would say something that was startlingly blunt, and just for a moment, L could see that glimmer of sadness or hurt in his eyes. Those were less satisfying victories.

Kira may be a sociopath, but for now he was a naïve boy. For now, he was a harmless dreamer with a big heart. It was whatever weapon he used to murder that corrupted him, filled him with power, and therefore insanity. But for now, he was just a beautiful boy with a dream of a better world, like the way a young child might dream for a world full of dinosaurs, not understanding that dinosaurs would destroy and kill everything he had come to know, but thinking simply of how he would like to pet one.

And that was the only reason L would stand to be his friend. Because this beautiful boy was also a complex, intelligent, amazing human being. L craved his presence and his attention just as much as he craved those small breaks in his façade. Because when they were alone, and Light didn't have to act for anyone (except for acting all the time like he wasn't Kira, but he was_) _he was _real._

If only Light could show his real side to everyone, maybe L wouldn't suspect him as much. Light felt the need to project his flawlessness to everyone, but underneath those silly masks was an intelligent, witty, funny, interesting, and undeniably_ flawed_ boy.And that was what made him _so _beautiful to L, not his flawless looks, but his flawed personality.

If people could see that, L was willing to bet that people would love Light even more. More than they already worshipped him. But Light was just so damn stubborn about pretending he was perfect. Maybe he even fooled himself into thinking he was perfect. And maybe that was how something as twisted as Kira came to be.

That was the biggest reason L liked to break Light's mask. Because Light _had _to be reminded that even he was human, even he could make mistakes. Even if L had to hurt him to do it, he would show Light that he wasn't perfect, because someday, some horrible day, Light would become Kira again. And L might not live through that, which was a pressing issue of course, but more importantly, all of Light's beautiful mind would be warped and twisted into a more sharp and scary kind of beauty that made L tremble. That was the kind of beauty L first saw in Light, but at some point in his confinement, the sharper edges softened, and L's spine didn't shiver when he looked in Light's eyes out of fear, but rather from their pureness.

Yes, L would continue to remind Light to keep that pureness in his eyes as much as he possibly could, to keep that startlingly beautiful human, human. But L could feel time was running out, they were moving closer to discovering the third Kira, and something drastic needed to be done. Something that would make Light absolutely rage with imperfection. But what?

L again turned his gaze toward Light, this time fully swiveling his chair to view the brunette. He scrutinized him thoroughly testing theories in his head as to what could crack his mask so thoroughly, surely Light would even see his imperfection.

Light's concentration broke when he saw the detective swivel to look at him. He inclined his head toward L, letting his lovely eyes fall onto L's startlingly black ones.

"Is something wrong Ryuuzaki?" he asked quietly. There was no need to be loud as it was around 1 in the morning and they were alone on this floor of the headquarters.

L didn't speak but merely brought his chair closer to Light's. Light began to eye him wearily, but with an increasing flicker of panic as he neared. L found this extremely interesting. Perhaps he could find a clue as to how to irrevocably ruffle Light.

L let his chair slide closer and closer, still not opening his mouth to speak. Light began to look fully panicked now. Normally, L would be satisfied with the already apparent breach in Light's shield, but he needed to push further. So he pushed until his chair was touching the side of Light's. Then he leaned toward Light with the intention of further examining him. Light drew in a short gasp of breath as L invaded his personal space to a critical extent.

L took note of the involuntary breath, but continued to lean towards Light. The key to breaking him was so close, he knew it. Light flinched a bit when there was but a foot between their faces, but that wasn't it either, so L continued. It wasn't until his face was but a few inches from Light's that he noticed the soft pink color that flushed Light's skin.

That's it! I've found it!

And with that, L closed the trivial gap he had left and kissed Light.


	2. Chapter 2

Second Chapter of Flawed! Woooo!

I'm thinking that there should be about one more chapter in this series before it's all wrapped up. :D

To anyone who is waiting for **To Be A Hero? **to be updated (and if you haven't read it, go do that ;D) I'm sorry it's taking a long time, it's just that I honestly like this story better, and so it's sort of a task to work on that one. It was my first piece on here, and I just really don't like it that much. But I WILL finish it. And hopefully make it suck a little less in the process. (:

Anyways, after my shameless advertising and complaining, I think you deserve some yummy boy love, so enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I really reaaaaally don't own DN. Quite obviously.

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><p>Light's lips were silky and gentle, with a warmth that was unbearably sweet. But L didn't think about that. Or the intense feeling in his chest and the pleasant churning in his stomach. He merely thought about Light's reaction.<p>

The boy froze in absolute shock. A look of horror crossing his face, which L ignored despite the pang in his chest. Of course Light would be horrified at the thought of kissing him. But that wasn't what this was about.

Once Light regained his sense, he shoved L away with an angry flush on his face.

"What the HELL do you think you're _doing, _Ryuuzaki?" Light asked, so furious he reverted to one of L's many alias'. His cheeks looked as if they were on fire. His breathing was rapid, presumably from anger, and his eyes… his eyes were difficult. The anger was obvious, L thought, but there was something else there. But he decided not to dwell on it.

Time to deal the final crack to his mask. A sad smirk crossed L's face.

"Ahh, Light-kun. You acted exactly as expected of Kira, 23%" L had no idea how Light's actions related to Kira, but the desired effect would almost certainly still take place, besides, L suspected Light believed he just pulled his percentages out of his ass (which was _not…_ okay, _mostly _not true; sometimes he just liked to screw with Light).

Light looked completely stricken by this statement. After the shock wore off, however, there were a rainbow of emotions that crossed his face. First anger, then a moment of devastating sadness that L didn't quite understand, then just a flicker of confusion, but mostly just acrap loadof anger.

"How _dare _you?" Light yelled.

"How dare I what, Light-kun? I was simply performing a test to deduce the likelihood of you being Kira."

"You think you can _justify _playing with someone's emotions and invading their personal space as related to Kira?" Light screamed.

L scoffed. "I highly doubt Light-kun's emotions were 'played with', as you put it, by a simple kiss."

"A kiss is special L. You don't just give them to anybody." Light said quietly, his anger slowly fizzling to leave to an unreadable expression on his face.

"I wouldn't think so the way Light gives away kisses so freely to girls he wishes to manipulate." L hissed, a spike of irrational jealousy going through him. Those girls can kiss and fawn over him all they want and he doesn't care, but L gives him one quick little kiss and he becomes some kind of moral figure in the use of affection.

Light spluttered at L's slip of only using his first name. It seemed that L was sincerely angry about this. Probably because Kira would manipulate women as well.

"I don't kiss them to manipulate them; I give them what they want so they'll go away."

"But you don't kiss them because you care about them."

"Yes, but I wasn't manipulating them, I just did what I had to do."

"Then how is that different from the kiss I gave Light-kun? It was not to show some type of silly emotion, but to do 'what I had to do'". L quoted using Light's words against him.

Light paled visibly.

"Was it some kind of unpleasant task, then?" Light asked, blood roaring in his ears, "Kissing me was just another test that must be conducted despite how _disgusting _it may be!"

"Well it certainly wasn't something I enjoyed." L replied with a deadly edge to his voice.

"It's not like I ASKED to be kissed by some sugar-crazed, anti-social, insomniac, detective freak!" Light hissed back with enough venom to bring down an elephant.

L's hands began to shake.

"It's irrelevant." L began quietly. "Because this _freak,_" L hissed the word, "would never _want _to kiss some snotty, pretentious, little _child. _

Light launched from his chair to punch L in the face. As L flew to the floor, the chain snapped taut and Light flew after him, landing heavily on top of the bony detective.

L tilted his head upward at Light contemplating whether kicking or strangling the boy would be the best method of proper retaliation. As his eyes met Light's wild amber ones, his breath caught. With his hair falling in every direction, his blasted mask in pieces revealing the fiery beauty underneath, his face a flustered red, and his breath coming in warm puffs, Light was undoubtedly the most beautiful person L had ever laid his eyes on.

Suddenly the memory of Light's lips came unbidden to his mind and everything was too much. Light's musky and sweet scent intoxicated his senses. He found it difficult for his brain to function. Afraid of doing something rash, he closed his eyes and held his breath, picturing Kira. Murdering people in cold-blood. He needed to remember _that _was who Light was. Not this painfully beautiful boy on top of him.

Light expected an immediate response, and was shocked when L's eyes flitted up to him with a deer-in-headlights look, then his eyes squeezing shut, and his jaw clenching tightly.

"L?" Light asked afraid maybe L had cracked his skull against the floor a little too hard this time.

"Could Light-kun please remove his person from atop mine?" L ground out between clenched teeth.

Light quickly rolled off of L, wondering faintly why L was acting so strangely. Perhaps he was still angry with Light, but it didn't seem that way. It didn't really look like anger that kept all the muscles in L's body locked tightly in place, but more like… strain.

L inhaled deeply. This can't continue. I must keep Light from being so close again. His mask will crack and he will stay away from me for good. L then doubled over in pain, clutching his chest. His body didn't seem to like the idea of that.

Light's hands fluttered about him, seemingly trying to figure out what to do about the suddenly ailing L.

"L? What is it? What's wrong?"

L looked up into Light's face at these words. The boy's face was contorted into an expression of guilt and concern.

"Why do you care?" L asked. He had been trying to break Light down, and in the process he was breaking himself.

Light looked at a loss.

"I just… do." Light muttered out.

Light slowly extended his hands as if trying not to frighten a wild animal, as he locked eyes with L. Light helped L sit up, then put one hand on L's and the other on his shoulder as he gently helped him stand.

"What hurts?" Light asked as he started to walk L to a chair. L began to answer but Light put a hand on the small of his back to support him and L yelped.

"What is it? I'm sorry! Does your back hurt?"

"Ahh, no, Light-kun. My back is fine." L sat in the chair letting his body slump into it. Light may be a lean young man, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt when he landed on top of you.

"My jaw does feel a bit uncomfortable however." L said, rolling his jaw around, probing for broken pieces.

"Yea…" Light said, scratching his head. "Sorry about that… But why didn't you hit back?"

L's eyes flashed for a moment, but he remained silent.

"Something happened…" Light began.

"It looked like you were in pain, but you don't seem to be too bothered with that, and you were clenching your jaw, so it couldn't have been about that…"

L closed his eyes and pulled his knees up into his chair.

"Which makes me think I was the reason. But what would bother you that much? Perhaps my closeness?" Light mused as he began to pace.

L's head snapped up from its previous staring contest with the tops of his knees.

"…because you've never had much human contact I assume, so being so close to another living being might have made you strange."

L smirked.

"…but that doesn't account for you being so strained. I mean yes, you would be tense with another body on top of you of course, especially considering your nature, but it was more like an internal war that you were waging."

L sighed. This was getting ridiculous. This boy wouldn't let it go. He might as well just tell him the reason. What was the worst that could happen?

Images of Light's horrified face right after he kissed him burned in L's mind.

He clutched his head in anger and pain.

"…and then you were holding your chest, but I'm fairly certain I didn't hit your chest too hard when we fell."

L sighed. It would be better if Light could reject him quickly so he could quietly mourn and move on. Then he absolutely would have no worry about his emotion clouding his judgment… because Light would break his heart. It would be broken, and then he could discard it. He would become a machine and finally solve this damned case and have that boy that messed him up so thoroughly out of his life. A heart was a heavy price to pay for justice, but something L could live with.

At least that was what he told himself. He told himself it would be easy to get over Light once he made his rejection clear and that his heart wouldn't throb in his chest when he saw Light's fiery eyes.

"…unless all that disgusting sugar is _finally _catching up with you. And I must say it's about time. I mean really how long can a person run on sugar without getting some type of ulcer or heart issu—"

"Light-kun, please shut up."

Light looked over at him, his mouth agape.

L rubbed his temples wearily before raising his eyes to look directly at Light's.

"The reason I did not appreciate your closeness was because I love you."


	3. Chapter 3

Light stared dumbfounded at L before his arm snapped out, quick as a snake, decking L on the other side of the face.

L let out an _oof _as he tumbled to the ground once again. He was utterly confused at Light's reaction. Light may not like the idea of L loving him, but he believed Light to be above such an animalistic response to something like L's affection.

L looked up with blank coal eyes at his first and only love.

The boy stood staring at L. His fists clenched with such force that his knuckles began to turn white. His cheeks were puffed out with red vividly coloring them. His breathing was inexplicably increased as if he were gasping for air. The tension in his body was clearly evident through his rigid pose.

Well, I successfully ruffled him to a significant extent while ridding myself of those pesky lingering feelings. Two birds with one stone is the expression I believe. All in all the plan he had formulated, assessed, and approved in the moments before kissing Light had worked flawlessly.

His bland eyes locked in a fierce battle with Light's lucid ones. He waited patiently for his rejection. But as Light looked at him with such a livid hatred, he wasn't sure of the flawlessness of his plan as his heart began to falter. His blood felt like it was draining from his body as he sagged just a little lower into the hunch he had assumed while sitting on the floor.

Perhaps Light really was Kira and could kill with looks. That thought was almost preferable to the one of his emotions affecting his body so intensely. It was a good thing he regularly blocked them out so completely.

Finally, Light decided to break the silence. L braced himself for the shattering of his heart.

"Is that some kind of _joke_?" Light spat.

"I assure you I am quite serious Light-kun."

"A kiss wasn't enough? Now you have to say something like that! I mean honestly how far will you go for a test?" Light was practically shouting now.

"Does my Kira percentage increase if I reject you because Kira can't feel love or some shit like that?"

Ahh, and there was the rejection. Cleverly hidden within a Kira rant. L's breath was taken away from the sheer force of the feeling that overtook him.

"And if I returned your feelings, it would be because Kira would want to manipulate your love to get rid of you." Light shook his head. "This is just _too _far, Ryuzaki."

"I can't forgive you for lying about something like this."

L felt like he was choking, but he had to make sure Light truly believed him, otherwise those irritating _what if _feelings would still plague him at night.

"Light."

Light's head snapped over to L at the use of his name without honorific.

For just a moment. Just this one moment in his life. L let all of his masks fall. Conveying with all the power of his deep, penetrating, black eyes his sincerity and genuine love for Light.

"I love you."

Light absorbed this look with as much grace as someone who was used to seeing L look blander than white paint can. His face then contorted in anguish.

"I can't—" he nearly whispered as he fell to his knees. "I can't believe you."

"And why ever not?"

"Because. If I let myself think for even a moment, hope for just a moment you were telling the truth. I just couldn't recover if you were deceiving me for the purpose of testing me. I let myself hope after you kissed me, and my chest still aches from it. Please, Ryuzaki, if you ever considered me even close to a friend. Stop. Stop what you're doing."

L stared at Light, his mask still down for the moment, all of his surprise and guilt, and maybe just the smallest amount of hope shining through.

But he also recognized this as a way to permanently ruin Yagami Light. He could mislead the boy. Let him fall in love, and eventually tell him the blackest of the lies that could ever slip his lips. That it was all a ruse. And Light would be broken. His masks and perfection forever gone. L contemplated this as he stared at the burning boy. Burning with anger. With anguish. With passion. With… love.

No.

L could break himself for the sake of the investigation, but he couldn't break Light. Because he couldn't sacrifice two people's hearts for the sake of this investigation. Because Kira had already taken away so much, hurt so many, he didn't need to ruin this too. Because in the end Light was always more important.

Perhaps. Just maybe. Instead of breaking Light, he could heal him. Heal him of the ills he had of the world, and if not completely, enough to not believe it needed to be destroyed and remade as he saw fit. Maybe L could heal him with his love. And maybe both of them could be happy.

And although L still not forgive Light for his previous actions, the ones he could not remember, as Kira, he would try to. And he would try to help Light atone for what he had done. Because death was the easy escape. Trying to fix things was much more arduous, but held true justice, even if he never succeeded.

Of course, there was always the chance that Light was acting as well. Putting on a show to lure L into a sense of false security. Light was quite the actor, but as L eyed the burning boy, he found it impossible to believe he could fake such a passion he truly did not feel.

"Is Light-kun saying that he loves me back?"

"Ryuzaki stop this—"

"I am asking you Light-kun," L interrupted, "to take a leap of faith, as I have done with you, to believe what I have said and respond with your own truthful feelings. Despite how you may think of me, somewhere I have a heart, and it would not be so cruel as to use this as a test. So please respond as you would any normal confession."

"But that's just it! It's not some normal confession! It's you! It's the man I love confessing his love to me, after he just kissed me for some sick test, and expecting me to believe him after all he does is tell me lies!"

"Ahh, I feel I should tell Light that my intentions behind that kiss were not entirely work-related. But besides that, please understand, that I am putting my faith in you, trusting that among all of your imperfections and flaws, you can in this one moment be honest with me and tell me how you truly feel."

Light sat in silence with his eyes closed for a long time. Any normal human would probably be uncomfortable with the silence and the position L sat in, but he was completely content to let Light think out his decision.

After what seemed an eternity, Light sighed.

"Ryuzaki, if there is one thing that I can say with absolute truth; it is that I love you."

L smiled as he pulled Light in a warm embrace before pulling back and placing a soft, tentative kiss on his lips.

Light grinned with a spark of lust twinkling in his hazy teenager-in-love eyes.

He grabbed L by the shirt and pulled him in for a much deeper and passionate kiss.

When L's lungs began to protest loudly enough to break through L's hazy mind, he pulled away, but kept close enough so that their foreheads rested together and their warm breaths mingled pleasantly.

Yes. Yagami Light was full of flaws. Like a beautiful gem, he was covered in little knicks and scratches marring his perfection, even darker spots of wickedness clouding his pureness, but those little parts were what made him right. Real. A diamond in the ruff.

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><p>So. Do you guys hate me for that last line as much as I hate myself? xD<p>

Anywaays, I quite enjoyed writing this even though it was pretty short. I'm not quite sure if this is the end, but it probably is.

I'm working on a new fic for these boys thats a bit more fluffy that hopefully I'll finish and put up soon.

Anyways, pleeeeeeeeeease, with extra whipped cream or cherries or whatever you like on top, review. I appreciate everyone's favorites and alerts very much, but reviews pretty much make my day, and they really help me to learn to become a better writer. I just started, so constructive criticism or questions and comments are always appreciated.

But all that aside I hope you enjoyed the fic!

And thank you to everyone who read and waited through my epic writer's blocks.

**-LinkIsMyHero**


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